United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) /yo̅o̅′nisef′/ , a fund established by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1946 to aid children in devastated areas of the world. It is funded by contributions from the member nations. It acts to prevent disease, including tuberculosis, whooping cough, and diphtheria, and provides food and clothing to needy children in more than 50 countries. In 1953, UNICEF was made a permanent organization of the United Nations.
